Gearing for washing-machines.



No. 665,348. Patented Jan. I, 1901.

A. a. SCHULTZ. GEABING FOR WASHING MACHINES.

(Application filed A r. 16, 1900. oooooooo kll UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

ADOLPH G. SCHULTZ, OF HINOKLEY, ILLINOIS.

GEARING FOR WASHING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665.348, dated January1, 1901.

Application filed AprillB, 1900. Seriallilo. 12,980. \Nomodeld F0 aZZwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADOLPH G. SCHULTZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hinckley, in the county of De Kalb'and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gearing forWashing- Hachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of washing-machinesin which a rotary agitator or stirring device located in a tub orreceptacle is employed for cleansing the garments; and it consists incertain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement,andoperation of the various parts thereof, as will be hereinafter morefully set forth and specifically claimed.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a simple,inexpensive, and efficient mechanism by means of which the agitator orstirring device may be rotated first in one direction and then in theopposite direction by conversion of motion from a shaft having acontinuous rotary motion in one direction.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionpertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it,referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view inelevation of my improved mechanism for washingmachines, showing it inposition on a portion of a tub or receptacle for the clothes and water.Fig. 2 is a plan sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3is a detail view of a portion of the supporting-frame for the drivingmechanism, showing an inclined piece secured thereto for the purpose ofchanging the motion of the agitator.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the different views ofthe drawings.

A represents a portion of a tub or other receptacle to be used forholding the clothes and. water in which they are washed. This receptaclemay be of any suitable size, form, and material, but preferably has itsupper end open and formed with an annular recess a in its rim to receiveand retain a cover B of suitable size to close the top of the tub orvessel.

Mounted on the cover or support B is a frame 0, which is preferablyrectangular, as shown in Fig.1 of the drawings.

Horizontallyjournaled in suitable bearings d and d is a driving-shaft D,which has on its outer end a crank-handle D to be used for operating themachine and on its inner end a beveled gear F, which meshes with thebeveled gears G and G, both of which are loosely mounted on a verticalshaft H, which is journaled in the frame 0 and in the support or coverB, which rests on the top of the vessel or tub or may be locatedthereabove. Each of the gears G and G is provided with a segmental slotor depression g near its periphery for the reception of the shifting baror red H, as will be presently explained.

Rigidly secured to the vertical shaft H, between the hubs of the gears Gand G, is a yoke I, the prongs i of which are provided with openings 2"for the reception and operation of the shifting bar H, which ispreferably angular in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Secured to the yoke I and extending about midway between the prongs z isa spring K, the outer end of which rests against the bar H and preventsits accidental engagement with the lower gear.

Journaled on the outer surface of the bar H at about its middle is aroller h, which impinges the i'nclined piece L, which is secured to theside of the frame 0 opposite that side thereof in which thedriving-shaft is journaled. The vertical shaft H extends some distanceinto the tub or receptacle and has its lower portion formed or providedwith a laterally-extendin g enlargement h, which fits in acorrespondingly-shaped opening in the agitator M, which is provided witha number of arms on and is preferably of the form shown in Fig. lofthedrawings. This agitatoris vertically movable on the enlargement h of thevertical shaft H, but will rotate therewith by reason of the shape ofthe said enlargement and the opening in the agitator in which it islocated.

In the drawings I have shown the drivingshaft as being journaled on theframe (1, and while I prefer to so construct the device yet I mayprovide other bearings therefor, and instead of mounting the mechanismon the cover B, I may mount it on a suitable support, which can heplaced on the top of the vessel or above the same, so that the agitatorwill be located in the vessel or receptacle without departing from thespirit of my invention.

The operation is as follows: By turning the driving-shaft in thedirection indicated by the arrow thereon it is apparent that the gear Gwill be driven in one direction and the gear G in the oppositedirection, and as the yoke I, which carries the bar H, is fixed to thevertical shaft H said shaft and the agitator M will be rotated in onedirection until the roller h on the shifting bar H impinges the inclinedpiece L, which will force the bar up or down, thus causing it toalternately engage the gears G and G, and thereby reverse or alternatethe movement of the agitator, which operation will thoroughly stir andchurn the garments, so as to remove all dirt and stains.

Having thus fully described my invent-ion, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a gearing for a washing-machine the combination with a vertical shaftjournaled on a suitable support, of a driving-shaft horizontallyjournaled with one of its ends near the vertical shaft, a beveled gearon the inner end of the driving-shaft, a beveled gear having a segmentalslot or depression near its periphery and loosely mounted on thevertical shaft so as to engage the upper portion of the gear on thedriving-shaft, another beveled gear having a segmental slot ordepression near its periphery and loosely mounted on the vertical shaftso as to engage the lower portion of the gear on the driving-shaft, ayoke fixed to the vertical shaft, a verticallynlovable bar movablysecured in the prongs of the yoke, and having a roller on its outersurface, a spring to press said bar, an inclined piece located near thevertical shaft and in the path of said roller, substantially asdescribed.

ADOLPl-I G. SCHULTZ. Witnesses:

C. A. GREENAOU, E. H. PRICE.

